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' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. STONE.

ORGAN ACTION.

No. 326,171. y Patented Sept. 15,1885.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 1:". STONE.

ORGAN ACTION.

(No Model.)

No. 326,171. Patented Sept. 15, 1885.

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i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK STONE, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MUNROE ORGAN REED COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ORGAN-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,171, :lated September 15, 1885.

Application tiled April l, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK STONE, of lVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Actions for Hw sical Instruments; and' l declare the following to be a description of my said invention suficiently full, clear, and exact to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. My present invention relates more especially to organactions or to instruments having reeds or other sounding devices actuated by air-currents the flow of which is regulated by valves controlled by manual keys or rnechanically-actuated valve-operators.

The objects of my present invention are, first, to provide a construction whereby a larger number of reeds or sounding devices can be assembled within comparatively small spaee,and be operated by a single set of keys Without materially increasing touch77 or force required for depressing the several keys; second, to provide a style of action wherein the number of reeds or sounding devices can be indelinitel y in creased and their government and operation eii'ected with ease and facility; third, to afford a valve mechanism in which the Valves are adapted for perfect action without the necessity of springs for retaining them to their seats 5 fourth, to adord facilities for ready access to the reeds without derangement of the valve mechanism; iifth, to provide a convenient and eiiicient system of mutes or shutters forisolating the various sets of reeds o r sounding devices from the wind apparatus; sixth,to conveniently combine additional sets of reeds with the ordinary orga-n action and to provide facilities for connect-ing and disconnecting the valves of such additional sets of reeds with the manual keys or operating mechanism. These objeotsl attain by mechanism constructed and organized for operation substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the principles and features of my invention being more fully set forth and explained in the following description, and the particular subj ect-,matter claim ed being hereinafter definitely specified.

Figure lis a vertical section of such parts of a musical-instrument action as are necessary to illlustrate the nature of my invention, the valves being shown closed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one series of the valves and a section of the valve-seat piece. Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing an increased num ber of reeds or sound devices and with the valve shown in open position. Fig. 4 is a front view showing at respective portions thereof the valves, the valve-seat piece, the face of the tube-board, and a vertical section of the wind-chamber. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section at the position of line as x on Fig. 4, illustrating the arrangement of the mute valves; and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing a method of combining my invention with the ordinary form of reed-organ actions.

In reference to drawings, A denotes the sounding board or piece that forms the top of the wind-chamber A', from which chamber the air is exhausted by a suitable bellows apparatus operated in the ordinary or any suitable manner.

B indicates the tube-board, which is composed of several series of tubes or cells, C, containing reeds or sounding devices E, arranged in receding order, one above another, with each course or tier of cells offsetting that below it, so that the air-passages b from the higher courses of cells open into chambers O formed at the back of the course below and beneath the respective sets or courses in a manner Yto serve as a common exhaust-receiver for the several reed-cells in the respective sets or courses. The size or capacity of the several chambers C proportionally increases as the number of courses of cells is extended. The front of the several sets of tubes is formed on au inclined plane at an angle common to all the sets or continuous from the bottom to the top of the tube-board, which may embrace from three to eight or more sets of tubes, as desired. The tubes or cells in the several sets preferably stand directly over each other in transverse alignment, the smallest set of reeds being located in the bottom course, and the larger sets in regular order, one above the other, in proportion to their relative sizes, the largest set being in the up per course of cells. rlhe cells C are made to ICC receive the entire length of the reed-plates, which are respectively sunk therein to a depth sufficient to give the best vibratory action or tone of the tongues according to theirI relative pitch.

D indicates a valve-seat piece arranged over the mouths ofthe cells or air-inlet openings to the reeds. Said seatpiece is providedwith air-ducts c, corresponding to each of the cells G, and its under face, which is provided with a suitable packing, is itted to the face of the .tube-board B, so as to exclude all air, except such as passes through the ducts a. The valve seat-piece D is connected with the tube-board by a hinge, d, or in other suitable manner, so that it can be readily raised or removed from the mouths of the cells, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) for permitting access to and the withdrawal of any of the reeds which may require attention. The lower edge is secured by a button, d, or other suitable fastening-s.

The ducts a are each stopped or governed by a rolling or tip-up valve, I l,and said valves are arranged to operate in series correspond` ing to the number of courses or sets of reeds in the tube-board, the several valves of each series being uniformly hinged at their heellortion to the seat-plate D, and connected at their tops by hinges or iiexible connections e to bars Ii in the manner indicated, whereby all of the valves in the .series are caused to move in unison. The bars E are in turn connected by straps or tlexible connections F to the k ey-n'ngers or operating-levers G, by means ot" which the valves are actuated. The straps or connections F have sufficient length to stand slack or buckle to a slight degree when the valves are closed, so that when opening the valves the operators G get under movement before the valves E start, thus utilizing the momentum of the parts for overcoming the suction action on the valves when closed. In the present instance the operator G consists of an angle-lever arranged beneath the manualkey H, and provided with a spring, H', for retaining its upper arm,which may be furnished with a suitable bearing-button, l1., against the under side of the key H.. If preferred, however, any other suitable mechanism may be employed for connecting the key with the operating-strip which moves the series of valves withoutdeparting from the nature of my invention. The valves E, being connected and arranged in the manner illustrated, require no springs for closing them to their seats, since they naturally close by their own gravity,and are held sufficiently tight by the atmospheric pressure or slight suction of air when the cxhanst-bellows are in operation.

Beneath the tube-board B on the underside of the sound-board A, and dependent therefrom, I arrange a series of auxiliary chambers, I, in number corresponding with the number of sets of reeds in the tube-board. Said chambers are separated from each other by suitable partitions, I', and respectively communicate with the reed cells (j or their chambers C by openings i?, formed through the soundingboard A.

Vithin the auxiliary chambers I, Iarrange the mutes or shutters J for isolating the separate sets of reeds or sounding devices from the air-exhaust chamber A', to give the various stops and changes ofexpression. Said shutters J, which cover openings in the'bottom board ot' the chambers, are arranged to open upward or against the action of the air substantially as illustrated, so that the shutters fall by their own gravity and the air-suction, while for opening they are operated by means of rocking wires or bars K, arranged beneath the chambers, having cranked or upward-turned ends K', that pass up through the openings and press against the under side or faces of the shutters J. The rocker-wires K extend to either end of the instrument and pass to the outside through properly-packed openings, and they may be connected with any desired form of operating mechanism and stop-pulls, whereby they can be conveniently actuated, and the mutes or shutters J raised thereby at the pleasure of the operator.

ln Fig. 6 is shown a method of combining my invention with the ordinary organ-action. In this case the anglelevers G, which operate the valves E, are supported on afulcrum-bar, L, (movable or stationary,) in position where the forward arm of said levers G will be engaged by suitable flanges, m m, fixed on the pitmen M, by which the ordinary organvalves N are operated, so that when said pitmen are depressed the levers G are actuated for straightening the straps F and raising the valves E.

By using flanges m and m above and below the end of the lever-arm G the mechanism is caused to operate for closing the valves E simply by the force ofthe springs O required for the ordinary valves N; hence the touch of the key or pressure required for operating the valves E and N together is but very slightly in excess of that required for operating the valves N alone.

rIhe bar L may be arranged to elevate and depress the fulcrum-bearings of the levers G by the action of a cam, I, or other suitable device, in connection with a pull knob or handle at some convenient location outside the case, so that the operator ean,by the depression ofthe fulcrums of the levers G, slacken the straps F to such an extent that the valves E will not be operated by the movement ot' the pitmen M. The movable bar thus serves as a coupler for the two orders of action, thus controlling a large number of reeds by a single set of keys, with the additional benefits of a very simple, effective, and easily-operated mechanism.

By the arrangement of the tube-board and valve mechanism in the manner illustrated and described an indefinite number of reeds can be included in a single action, as it is simlOO ply necessary to add set after set in the order specified until the required number of sets are included in the organ.

The valve-seat plate D, containing the airducts, and also the tipping-valves connected in series to the bar E', can, if desired, be employed together or separately, and with other styles of tube-boards or with sounding devices of diiferent construction with beneficial results, and said valves may be actuated by manual keys or by automatically-operating devices without departure from the spirit and nature of my invention.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A tube-board for musical instruments, provided With three or more sets of reed-tubes arranged upon eachother in overlying rearwardly-offsetting courses, with the air-passages of the overlying sets respectively opening directly into chambers, as G, situated beneath the respective offsets and in rear of the lower courses in the'order illustrated, and substantially as set forth.

2. The tubeboard B, constructed with several sets of reedtubes arranged in courses above and offsetting each other, with air passages Z1 and chambers c', disposed in the order shown, in combination with a series of mutes or shutters, as J, arranged in auxiliary chambers, as I, beneath the respective courses, for isolating or independently stopping off the several sets of reeds, substantially in the manner shown and described.

3. The combination, as described, of the tube-board B, having three or more courses of reed-cells arranged in overlying offsetting order, with inclined front, the removable seatplate J, having air-passages c leading into the several cells, t-he valves E for closing said pas` sages, and means for detachably confining said plate firmly upon the face ot' the tube-board, as shown, for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the reed-board and sounding devices, of the auxiliary chambers I, depending from the sound-board beneath the air-ducts from the respective sets of reeds,

the upwardly-opening mutes or shutters J, arranged within said chambers, and means for operating said shutters, substantially as shown n and described.

5. The combinatiomwith the mutes or shutters arranged within the close chambers I for opening upward, in the manner set forth, ofthe cranked rocking wires K, arranged along the exterior of said chambers within the windchest, and having their ends turned at an angle and bent upward, as at K', for action against said shutter, in the manner shown and described.

6. In combination, substantially as described, the tube-board B, having the inclined face and provided with three or more courses of reed-cells and reeds disposed in the relative order indicated, the valve-seat piece D, with series of air-ducts a formed therein, detaehably secured to the face of said tubeboard, the valves E, hinged to said seat-piece and connected in series of three or more to the bars E', the flexible attachment F, and actuating-lever G, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, with an organ-action having keys H, reeds S, and valves N, of the tube-board B, having overlying series of reedcells C, with reeds R and air-chambers C', eX- ternally-arran ged valves E, and inside mutes or shutters, J, substantially as shown, the pitmen M, having iianges m m', the levers G, and the iexible connecting-straps F, as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination, with the valves E, flexible connections F, and operatinglevers G, ofthe movable fulcrum-bar L, for changing said levers in relation to the operators or pitmen and throwing the valves into and out of action, substantially as set forth.

Vituess my hand this 25th day of March, A. I). 1882.

FRANK STONE.

Vitnesses:

GHAs. H. BURLEIGH, Gno. M. Rien. 

